In a world that seems to have tilted out of control in recent months, it is all too easy to become discouraged and feel weighted down. If I take just a moment to change my perspective and look heaven-ward, to see the One who holds all things, ALL THINGS, in His mighty hands I find my spirits lifting. When I remember who He is and what His love has done in my life, everything else fades into the background.
And in the remembering, my heart cannot help but praise Him.
This hymn is another written by Fanny Crosby. I am so grateful that rather than becoming bitter over her lot in life, she chose to trust the Father and give her heart to Him. He, in turn, filled her and used her to bring blessing beyond anything she could have imagined.
It should be such an encouragement to us to see what God can do with a life fully surrendered to Him.
1 Praise Him! praise Him!
Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth,His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him!
highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd Jesus will guard his children,
in His arms he carries them all day long:
[Refrain:]
Praise Him! praise Him!
tell of His excellent greatness;
praise Him! praise Him
ever in joyful song!
2 Praise Him! praise Him!
Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled and died;
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! Hail Him!
Jesus the Crucified.
Sound his praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
love unbounded, wonderful deep and strong: (Refrain)
3 Praise Him! praise Him!
Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;
crown Him! crown Him!
Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
power and glory unto the Lord belong: (Refrain)
"I will praise the Lord all my life, I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." (Psalm 146:2)
Blessings,
Linda
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Backwards
I am taking part in Five-Minute Friday today. Lisa-Jo has thrown out the topic, and I'm ready to go:
Backwards
I spend far to much time doing it, this looking back over my shoulder. There are some nights sleep eludes as I wander back to the years I somehow wish the Lord would grant me a "do-over" on. They are all grown and doing well. We are, in face, in awe of the amazing people they have become. It is quite humbling, for I know it was very little of my own doing and almost all His grace.
I think back to wasted moments, when I was too consumed with self to do the things that I would gladly do now. Why wasn't I wise enough to cherish the moments?
I have found, though, that it is difficult to move forward well when you are looking backwards. I have learned to do things a bit differently - am still learning in fact. When faced with choice of self or time spent with others I am making better decisions. Instead of longing for time to move quickly so I can get to the next thing (that looks so much more appealing from where I stand), I am learning to live in the moment.
stop
Blessings,
Linda
Thursday, June 9, 2011
His Upside-Down Kingdom
Your kingdom, Lord,
is an upside down one:
die to gain
give to receive
bow low to be exalted
last will be first
poor become rich.
But this Father:
love my enemies
pray for them.
She has caused such
heartache and pain,
to those I love
most dearly;
and to me-
inexplicable and undeserved.
Bitterness and anger
have filled my heart,
it is a struggle to keep
from lashing out
with words that will
inflict pain
and satisfy a need
for my idea of justice.
Your thoughts are
not my thoughts.
Your idea is pray.
I bow the knee-
difficult, almost impossible,
at first
Circumstances don't change,
but something in
my heart begins to move.
And peace
I cannot understand
comes like a gentle balm.
I cannot fathom
Your ways, Lord,
in this upside-down kingdom,
but they are good.
joining Emily at imperfect prose today
Blessings,
Linda
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
A Journal
I have been tippy-toeing through the afternoons looking for quiet things to do while the "patient" rests. It's rather a nice state of affairs. After all, things like vacuuming will never do when one is trying to be silent.
I haven't been keeping a Journal in recent months, and I've missed it. Life seems somehow "unfinished" if I don't write it down. I had a nice book filled with heavy white pages just waiting to be filled. So I quietly gathered my supplies and went to work:
Pages filled with beautiful images and empty pages waiting.
Blessings,
Linda
I haven't been keeping a Journal in recent months, and I've missed it. Life seems somehow "unfinished" if I don't write it down. I had a nice book filled with heavy white pages just waiting to be filled. So I quietly gathered my supplies and went to work:
Pages filled with beautiful images and empty pages waiting.
Blessings,
Linda
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thirsty
The earth is thirsty Lord
cracked
dry
brown
dying
crying out for rain.
The oaks are thriving Lord
tall
green
growing
roots plunged down deep
finding life-giving water.
I am thirsty Lord
empty
dry
stagnant
longing for Your touch.
Cultivate my heart Lord
prune
cleanse
fill
draw
that I might put down roots
and find living water.
"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
Isaiah 58:11
sharing with One Stop
Blessings,
Linda
cracked
dry
brown
dying
crying out for rain.
The oaks are thriving Lord
tall
green
growing
roots plunged down deep
finding life-giving water.
I am thirsty Lord
empty
dry
stagnant
longing for Your touch.
Cultivate my heart Lord
prune
cleanse
fill
draw
that I might put down roots
and find living water.
"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."
Isaiah 58:11
sharing with One Stop
Blessings,
Linda
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Be Still My Soul
Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The months have slipped by since I first wrote about my word for this year: "Quiet." When I heard the Lord whispering that word into my heart, I thought primarily about my tongue, and the lack of control thereof, and my surroundings - shutting off the noise all around me. However, I have since discovered that He had much more in mind when He chose this simple word.
These days, while still working on guarding my tongue and creating a quiet atmosphere in our home, I am thinking more about keeping a quiet heart. It simply isn't possible for me to control the circumstances of my life the way I would like to. There can be turmoil and tumult deep inside even when all around me is quiet. It is then that I need to take a moment to still my heart and go to Him, trusting that He is with me.
Trust is something I keep coming back to. It is the place of perfect peace and rest. When I remember who He is and what He has promised to do, my heart slows its frantic pace. Though circumstances may still rage around me, there is a reservoir of peace and a place of quiet deep within.
This hymn speaks so eloquently the things I want to say. It was written by Katharine von Schlegel centuries ago. There is little known about this German woman. She was born in 1696 and died in 1768. It was a time when there was a spiritual revival known as the Pietistic Revival taking place in Germany, similar to the Wesleyan and Puritan movements.
The Christian Church had grown stagnant during the Middle Ages, and with the revival of evangelism came the renewal of hymn singing. New hymns were written which were filled with piety, Christian experience and faithfulness to the Scriptures. This is one such hymn.
As a little side-note, it was the favorite hymn of Olympic athlete Eric Liddell. His refusal to run on the Sabbath was documented in the movie "Chariots of Fire." During the second World War Eric, serving as a missionary in China, was taken captive. He taught this song to the other prisoners in the camp.
Eric died of a brain tumor during his captivity. The story is told that while he lay dying he asked that this song be played. The beautiful words surely must have blessed and quieted his heart.
Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
Blessings,
Linda
P.S. Nancy Leigh DeMoss taught this past week on "Keep a Quiet Heart." It was a deeply moving series. You can listen at her website Revive Our Hearts.
I know you'll be blessed.
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The months have slipped by since I first wrote about my word for this year: "Quiet." When I heard the Lord whispering that word into my heart, I thought primarily about my tongue, and the lack of control thereof, and my surroundings - shutting off the noise all around me. However, I have since discovered that He had much more in mind when He chose this simple word.
These days, while still working on guarding my tongue and creating a quiet atmosphere in our home, I am thinking more about keeping a quiet heart. It simply isn't possible for me to control the circumstances of my life the way I would like to. There can be turmoil and tumult deep inside even when all around me is quiet. It is then that I need to take a moment to still my heart and go to Him, trusting that He is with me.
Trust is something I keep coming back to. It is the place of perfect peace and rest. When I remember who He is and what He has promised to do, my heart slows its frantic pace. Though circumstances may still rage around me, there is a reservoir of peace and a place of quiet deep within.
This hymn speaks so eloquently the things I want to say. It was written by Katharine von Schlegel centuries ago. There is little known about this German woman. She was born in 1696 and died in 1768. It was a time when there was a spiritual revival known as the Pietistic Revival taking place in Germany, similar to the Wesleyan and Puritan movements.
The Christian Church had grown stagnant during the Middle Ages, and with the revival of evangelism came the renewal of hymn singing. New hymns were written which were filled with piety, Christian experience and faithfulness to the Scriptures. This is one such hymn.
As a little side-note, it was the favorite hymn of Olympic athlete Eric Liddell. His refusal to run on the Sabbath was documented in the movie "Chariots of Fire." During the second World War Eric, serving as a missionary in China, was taken captive. He taught this song to the other prisoners in the camp.
Eric died of a brain tumor during his captivity. The story is told that while he lay dying he asked that this song be played. The beautiful words surely must have blessed and quieted his heart.
Be Still My Soul
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
Blessings,
Linda
P.S. Nancy Leigh DeMoss taught this past week on "Keep a Quiet Heart." It was a deeply moving series. You can listen at her website Revive Our Hearts.
I know you'll be blessed.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
GLAD!!!
Have you noticed that there are some passages in scripture that become so familiar we are apt to read over them without actually letting the words touch our hearts? I confess, it often happens to me.
Then there are moments when that gentle nudge causes you to stop for a moment, and in that small pocket of time the words come alive.
It happened to me this morning when I was reading my little devotional, "Daily Light." The page was filled with verses about God being with us.
John 20:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
And when He had so said, he shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD."
They are so familiar to this Sunday School girl who spent years, blessed years, memorizing scripture and trying to win every "Sword Drill" our teachers threw at us. But there was a catch in my heart this time.
There they all were, Jesus' disciples, bereft and frightened - but with a glimmer of hope having heard the report that the tomb was empty. Waiting...with doors locked and imaginations running wild.
Suddenly He was there in the room with them. Did they rub their eyes to make sure what they were seeing was real? Did they even know it was really Him? He knew their hearts and saw their thoughts revealed in expressions of hope and fear. He showed them the scars, and they knew.
The Bible says,"Then were the disciples glad..." GLAD!?! I think the Father must have smiled a bit when He had John pen that word. Understatement can't begin to describe it, I thought. GLAD!
What must it have been like to see Him after witnessing the events of the past few days? This One whom they loved and in whom all their hopes rested. This One who they thought had gone away forever. This One who had loved them enough to die for them. I can only imagine the tears and hugs and smiles and perhaps just a little jumping for joy.
What will it be like, I wondered, when I see Him? Will I be glad? Oh yes, I will. But it will be so much more than glad. When I'm able to get my face up off the ground, I want to dance and leap and sing for joy. Glad, glad, glad. Unending happiness to be with the One who gave Himself for me, who lives to make intercession for me, who pours grace and mercy into my sin-sick heart and clothes me in His righteousness.
Yes, I will be glad!! And the amazing part is - He will be glad too. I am overwhelmed by such love.
Hopping over to join Emily's imperfect prose.
Blessings,
Linda
Then there are moments when that gentle nudge causes you to stop for a moment, and in that small pocket of time the words come alive.
It happened to me this morning when I was reading my little devotional, "Daily Light." The page was filled with verses about God being with us.
John 20:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
And when He had so said, he shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD."
They are so familiar to this Sunday School girl who spent years, blessed years, memorizing scripture and trying to win every "Sword Drill" our teachers threw at us. But there was a catch in my heart this time.
There they all were, Jesus' disciples, bereft and frightened - but with a glimmer of hope having heard the report that the tomb was empty. Waiting...with doors locked and imaginations running wild.
Suddenly He was there in the room with them. Did they rub their eyes to make sure what they were seeing was real? Did they even know it was really Him? He knew their hearts and saw their thoughts revealed in expressions of hope and fear. He showed them the scars, and they knew.
The Bible says,"Then were the disciples glad..." GLAD!?! I think the Father must have smiled a bit when He had John pen that word. Understatement can't begin to describe it, I thought. GLAD!
What must it have been like to see Him after witnessing the events of the past few days? This One whom they loved and in whom all their hopes rested. This One who they thought had gone away forever. This One who had loved them enough to die for them. I can only imagine the tears and hugs and smiles and perhaps just a little jumping for joy.
What will it be like, I wondered, when I see Him? Will I be glad? Oh yes, I will. But it will be so much more than glad. When I'm able to get my face up off the ground, I want to dance and leap and sing for joy. Glad, glad, glad. Unending happiness to be with the One who gave Himself for me, who lives to make intercession for me, who pours grace and mercy into my sin-sick heart and clothes me in His righteousness.
Yes, I will be glad!! And the amazing part is - He will be glad too. I am overwhelmed by such love.
Hopping over to join Emily's imperfect prose.
Blessings,
Linda
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